


Four e-Cards Rodney Sent and One He Didn't

by neevebrody



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-01
Updated: 2009-08-01
Packaged: 2017-10-03 14:44:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neevebrody/pseuds/neevebrody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The addition of friendship and flirting categories had kept the e-card craze alive and well in Atlantis long after Valentine's Day had passed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four e-Cards Rodney Sent and One He Didn't

  
The addition of friendship and flirting categories had kept the e-card craze alive and well in Atlantis long after Valentine's Day had passed. New selections were uploaded to the citywide network via the weekly databursts and the off-beat illustrations and snarky sentiments were quite popular. Rodney had heard many of the other scientists, even some of the soldiers, talking about receiving the cards and sniggering over the selections.

He sat alone in the lab, trying to keep the yawns at bay while working tirelessly to complete the de-bugging of the city's climate-control systems. It was boring as hell, but necessary to avoid the headache of another incident like the week before. The temperature drop in the gateroom had caused ice crystals to form, making the floor as slick as an ice rink, not to mention interfering with several critical systems.

After starting yet another sequence, he eyed his empty coffee cup and opened the inbox on his personal laptop. Re-reading a few of the Valentine's Day and birthday cards he'd received made him feel strangely guilty for not having sent any of the greetings himself. Not that he hadn't wanted to, okay, so he'd been busy and forgotten, and anyway, Valentine's Day cards could be misinterpreted in any number of horrific ways. He paused and smiled fondly when the card Teyla sent him caught his eye.

Glancing at the progress meter of the current sequence, he figured what the hell; there were all kinds of new friendship cards. Perhaps he could be productive at something after all while the stupid de-bugging program took its interminable time. He navigated to the e-card store on the central server and began to scroll through the selections.

 

**The Card He Sent to Teyla:**

"It just means that you are the type of person, woman person, that I'd… what I mean is that you, Teyla, if there was anyone that I'd…" He looked up as Sheppard sat down with his breakfast tray.

"What's up, you two?"

Rodney glanced at Teyla, hoping she wouldn't…

"I received a very sweet e-card from Rodney and he was just explaining, I believe, the significance of the greeting." She turned to him and smiled brightly.

His own smile felt out of place near his rapidly warming cheeks. John arched both eyebrows at him.

"A very nice _friendship_ card," he stressed. "After all, Teyla and I share a unique bond, that, ah… ah…" He waved his arm near Teyla in a, you-know-what-I-mean fashion, and felt his ears pink to match his cheeks.

She caught his hand mid-flight and eased it back onto the table, giving it a little squeeze.

 

**The Card He Sent to Ronon:**

 

The gym was the closest thing to uncharted territory for Rodney. Whenever he went there, it was with the best of intentions; however, he usually ended up leaving with more than he'd bargained for. Later that afternoon, his only purpose in going was to locate Ronon.

He sidled up to him as Ronon was gathering his things. Ronon turned to him. Sweat trickled in tiny rivulets down his chest as he looked Rodney over. He took a swipe at his skin with a towel. "McKay. Should have told me earlier you wanted to spar," he said, just a trace of a smirk curling his lip.

Rodney returned the smirk full force. "Ah… no. Actually, I was just curious… have you, uhm, checked your email today?"

The dark heavy brows knit together and Ronon's face darkened. He looked side to side as if he was afraid someone might overhear. "Woolsey sends me reminders… about filing my reports. I don't need the extra pressure."

"What? You just duck your email?"

"He sends me these attachments. A new word every day… says he wants to _enhance_ my appreciation of the English language."

Rodney flushed with a kind of giddy fondness for the big guy. "You're never going to tell him, are you?"

Ronon sniffed and twitched his lips into a grin.

Oh, Woolsey would so deserve that. Specialist Ronon Dex had not only mastered several dialects on his own home planet, he was familiar with six other languages and variations throughout Pegasus. Hell, only Teyla had picked up the structure and usage of English quicker. Ronon even had a working knowledge of Wraith. The many times he and Rodney had been on hive ships together, Rodney had watched him, had seen for himself the way Ronon's eyes lingered over the symbols with understanding. "So, I take it that's a no on checking your email?"

"Why are you so interested anyway?" The grin faded and Ronon puffed up just a bit more than Rodney thought necessary.

"Oh for… just check it, okay? I sent you something… from me."

"What is it?"

Rodney bristled and rolled his eyes. "Well, if you must spoil the surprise, it's an e-card."

Ronon visually relaxed but still stared as if waiting for Rodney to finish.

"You know, those electronic greeting cards everyone's sending all over the place. Specifically, it's a friendship card." Rodney spread his arms out in front of him. "It's a custom on Earth… to show people you care or to offer sympathy or wish them a Happy Birthday, or—"

"Or something you could just tell me." Ronon hoisted his bag over his shoulder and shifted his weight.

"Uhm, yes, I suppose so, but…" The back of Rodney's neck began to prickle. "…we _send_ cards because it's a tradition to… although, you know, it is an ingenious commercial venture that rakes in profits and relies heavily on emotions and guilt and… anyway, it's just a card to say, basically to say, I'm happy we're friends. Although, you may completely fail to grasp the sardonic tone of the card itself."

Rodney had learned to be wary of that little sparkle in Ronon's eyes. It could be devilishly charming, but at the same time, he never knew what would follow it. It might be the first volley in a snark-fest, or an incredibly perceptive statement like… "So, you took the time to search for a card and send it to my email to tell me something you could have just told me… did just tell me?"

Okay, he could see it now, this had been a huge mistake. "Yes, but you see, you're missing the point. It's entertaining. It's another way of _telling_ you…" He searched Ronon's stare. "Oh, never mind." He waved dismissively at the growing smirk and turned for the door.

"McKay?" Ronon called back, "I like you, too."

 

**The Card He Sent to Jennifer:**

When Jennifer sat down with her apple juice and muffin, Rodney was glad not to have to eat his mid-afternoon snack alone. He hadn't run into any of the team since leaving Ronon at the gym.

It was nice to have someone besides the minions and his teammates to talk to for a change. He picked at his grapes as Jennifer started in about her day. Surprisingly, the two of them had a few common interests and their conversations were easy; he didn't feel as if he was constantly stumbling over his words. It really was good just to have a friend.

"… have a few reservations about you being funnier," Jennifer was saying.

"I'm sorry, what?" Rodney looked up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sheppard amble into the mess.

"Your card," Jennifer said. "Thank you, by the way, it was very sweet of you."

That seemed to be the sentiment of the day, so never let it be said that Rodney McKay couldn't be sweet. "You're welcome, and I am definitely funnier," he replied, drumming his fingertips on the table. He watched John get a cup of coffee then go over to sit at a table alone. Suddenly, Rodney's stomach felt like no amount of food would ever fill it. He popped another grape into his mouth, as if that might help, and turned his attention back to Jennifer. "And you'd better enjoy it. With my social skills, it could be the last one you get from me for a while."

Jennifer laughed. She reached over and covered Rodney's hand with hers. "Your social skills aren't that bad, you know." Her voice sounded different and Rodney began to feel flush all over. He shot a glance at John, uneasy, as if John might have heard her. Rodney thought half a second of pulling his hand away, but he thought too long.

John had the cup to his lips but his eyes were on Rodney. Just for a moment, before he shifted in his seat and picked up some papers he'd brought with him.

Jennifer smiled and let go. "The medical staff and I are having a great time with those cards," she said. She then picked at her muffin, placing a bite in her mouth.

Rodney smiled back. He listened absently to a few pieces of gossip, looking over to where John sat as often as he felt he could get away with it.

John stood up as Jennifer was describing a new piece of equipment scheduled for delivery on the next run of the Daedalus. Rodney feigned interest as John dropped his cup at the clean-up station and walked out of the mess. Without another look. Without a word.

 

**The Card He Sent to John:**

Rodney had agonized over the e-card he sent to John more so than anyone else's. He'd tossed out several, including one that read "you're not as complex as you think," deciding there was too much that might be read into that statement. Of course, that's what he'd intended, but somehow he felt it best to keep the sentiment light and offhand.

John's was the only email on which he'd typed a little note to go with the card: _change the my to your and this seems to describe us perfectly_, thinking that would give it the personal touch he was going for. He'd also typed the symbols for a happy face, but then he'd backspaced and typed it again, backspaced and typed it again, and then, damn it, he'd backspaced again and clicked 'Send'.

John stopped by the lab around the time Rodney should have been shutting everything down for the day. The results from the de-bugging the night before had revealed weaknesses in several of the climate control protocols and Radek had come up with the utterly brilliant suggestion that Rodney write patches for upload into the main computer. Normally, that would be a task for the back burner, like those Jumper repairs. Or he could have pawned it off on another of the scientists, but in light of the recent trouble, it was an easy fix so better to just go ahead and get it done.

Sheppard hung around long enough to thank Rodney for his card and to _not_ find out what it was, exactly, that Rodney was doing. Rodney suspected his detailed description of the need for the patch might have had something to do with that. John was back out the door in minutes, saying something about a nap and seeing Rodney at dinner.

Rodney grinned, convinced the mention of a nap was totally for his benefit.

 

**The Card He Didn't Send:**

 

Rodney was working on the final patch code when his back began to protest. He stretched through the shooting pain in his hip and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. A chime sounded from his personal laptop, letting him know that he had an email. It was from Radek. Another suggestion to improve the protocols Rodney was working on. He rolled his eyes and closed the mail without reading it, then noticed an unsent message in his drafts folder. He clicked. It was the e-card he had not sent.

He'd wanted to send it, but he'd been afraid of how it might be received, and wondered if he was really ready to explain himself. But, what if he wouldn't have to explain? He'd even talked his situation over with Teyla, in general terms, of course. She had been very gracious and understanding, but her advice of following his heart had still left him mired in indecision.

Dinner with his team had been a quick one since there was so much work to get done. Now, back down in the dungeons alone, Rodney decided what he really needed to do was talk to John.

He'd needed a break, after all, and the walk over to John's quarters had just about straightened all the kinks from his back. Without thinking, he swept his hand over the controls and entered. John wasn't there. He had half a mind to wait, but then, that damn patch code wasn't going to write itself and he was so ready to be shed of that chore.

When Rodney returned to the lab, John was sitting there beside the worktable, feet up on the nearest desk, flipping through some of Rodney's notes regarding the trouble with the climate system.

"What are you doing here?" Rodney asked, pointing over his shoulder. "I was just… never mind."

He followed John's nod to a steaming cup of coffee and a muffin -- that he was sure the mess hadn't had at dinner -- sitting beside his laptop. "Thought you might be down here a while," John mumbled. "You never do know when to quit."

"Thanks." Rodney's face warmed.

John hummed in reply, still paging through the notes. Rodney couldn't help feeling both flattered and a little perturbed knowing that John understood most of what he was looking at. Rodney waved his hand at the papers. "I was writing code for the, uhm, and got bored, so I took a walk."

John glanced up at that. His eyes followed Rodney until Rodney sat down. "Hmm," he said again.

They both sat in silence. Rodney cut his eyes sideways now and again, but John seemed content right where he was. That wasn't unusual, really; and it was sort of a comfortable silence. Rodney liked the way they didn't always _need_ to talk. He went back to his work, and, on reading over the last few lines of code, slumped a little and tried as surreptitiously as possible to delete the entire mess before John noticed what he was doing.

"So how come you didn't send Keller's card?"

Rodney's head whipped around. "Huh?" The interjection of John's voice was not the only thing that startled him. A sudden panic gripped him as John tossed a finger in the direction of the personal laptop.

"Sorry," he said, "it was right there on your computer…"

"Yes. On my personal computer, in my personal mailbox. You would—"

"Calm down, Rodney, I didn't touch anything, it was right there on the screen." He went back to scanning over the papers.

Rodney watched him for a moment. John was right, of course. Rodney had been so intent on… well, he wasn't sure what his intent had been exactly, but he _had_ left the email open. "If you must know, I did send Jennifer a card… just not that one."

"Whatever." John seemed to let that sit a moment, and then added, "Then who is that one for?"

"What? I'm not… do you mind? I'd like to get this completed tonight. I'm not sending it to anyone. I…"

"Don't sweat it, McKay. I just thought, you know, if you were seeing someone or interested in someone, you might have mentioned it."

Heaving out a big sigh, Rodney ignored the throbbing between his ears and took the biggest chance of his life… well, this week anyway. "Uhm, what would you say if I told you that I'd picked that, that e-card you saw on my computer, chose it to send to you but chickened out?" Once he'd started, the words couldn't seem to tumble out of Rodney's mouth fast enough. He was just thankful they hadn't ended up mangled in the process. It was like that sometimes when he talked to John. More importantly, how would John react? Would he be offended? Surely, even without the card, he had to have already picked up on a few things. He was not a stupid man.

Rodney didn't dare look up. If there was a hint of disapproval on John's face, he didn't want to see it. While the proverbial crickets chirped, the only other sound in the room was the clicking of his keyboard. No reply at all from Sheppard. No movement. Nothing… until another hum. Soft and contemplative, as if it wasn't directed at anyone or anything in particular.

And, yes, humming. Well that was probably a very bad sign. Rodney stole a glance. John was sitting there staring a hole through the notes, brows furrowed in that way he did all too often anymore, lips a little poked out, and Rodney really tried not to linger on them, but just then the tip of John's tongue darted out to wet them. A quick movement that seemed to take an eternity. Rodney looked away, and even though the temperature in the lab was controlled, the back of his neck was damp with sweat.

With no warning, John chucked the papers over onto the lab table and stood up. He took a few steps and said, as if an afterthought, "I'll see you later, Rodney."

Oh, no way was that going to fly. "Sheppard? Did you hear what I—"

John turned around. "I heard you." His face gave nothing away. "You meant to send the card to me but you didn't."

"And?"

John shrugged. "And what?"

"You have nothing else to say to that revelation?"

John scrubbed a hand behind his neck. "You didn't send it, so…"

"So… you saw the card, right? I mean, don't you think we should maybe discuss it?"

John looked at him, then jerked his head in the direction of the door. "I just remembered something I have to do."

"Right now!?" He watched John push open the door. Just another _"I'll see you, Rodney,"_ and he was gone.

God, he'd counted on it being awkward at best, knew he was taking a huge chance, but holy fuck. John had walked out on him. Rodney stared at the door and shook his head. Uncomfortable was the only word that came to mind to describe the way John had looked – that same expression he always wore when he wanted to say something, but couldn't get his head around the right words.

Typical… surround John Sheppard with life-sucking space aliens, suicide missions, and insurmountable odds and he'd wade in with both feet, eyes wide open, and guns blazing. But ask him a personal question or reveal an emotion, or worse, ask him to, and he was as lost as two left socks.

Rodney forced out a deep breath. The next few days would be a barren wasteland of interaction. He wasn't worried, really; he'd weathered that behavior before. Still, it was no fun being shut out. It was hell on missions, meant sitting in the back seat of the Jumper, but soon enough things would go back to normal… or would they? Would things ever be the same now that he'd fucked up and shown his hand?

Rodney snorted. Probably. John had this way of boxing, sorting, and packing away pieces of himself, his life, and circumstances that made Rodney wonder if even John would ever find some of them again. It was certainly no mystery why John hated talking to shrinks so much and Rodney caught a fleeting image of Heightmeyer or the new guy, Allenson, decked out in rubber waders, carrying butterfly nets, and stomping around inside Sheppard's mind.

And, all right, that was really weird. Rodney shook himself and took a sip of the coffee John had brought him. It wasn't hot anymore, but he could taste that it had been fresh made. He took a bite of the muffin and looked at the work spread out before him. Should he shut everything down and get some sleep? Go find Sheppard? Or just stay with it until the patch was complete? There was only a few more lines of code to go before the upload and then all he needed to do was run a simulation. He checked his watch and decided to finish the damn thing after all. It would help take his mind off how much John would be ignoring him over the next few days.

He'd just finished the last of the code when his laptop chimed. New mail. From Sheppard.

His pulse began to quicken even before he clicked the message. That's when he saw the little clip icon that indicated an attachment. John had sent him an e-card. Was that the thing he had suddenly remembered? Rodney took a deep breath and clicked.

Blinking, he re-read the card and the accompanying message a third time to be sure he was seeing it right.

_Meet me in my quarters in five minutes… maybe you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong._

The tips of Rodney's ears burned bright red, his heart pounded, and he was sure he'd managed to work hyperventilation into the mix as his fingers flew over the keys to initiate the upload. Just then John's voice crackled through his earpiece, making Rodney jump.

"Five minutes _means_ five minutes, McKay, or no deal."

Rodney closed the email, slammed the lid of his laptop and ran a quick eye over the upload indicator before pushing back from the table. He left everything as it was. Screw it. Let them skate on the gateroom floor if need be… at least for tonight.  



End file.
